When the Motorola Photon 4G debuts through Sprint later this month it
will be Motorola’s first WiMAX smartphone and Sprint’s first
international 4G smartphone that is capable of working on GSM networks
around the world. Powered by a dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor with
each core running at 1GHz, 1GB of RAM and with 16GB of built-in memory
the device will come with Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) per-installed.
In a first for a Motorola smartphone, the Photon 4G features a
kickstand that will switch the display to landscape mode when deployed
so you can enjoy some hands free viewing on
the device’s 4.3-inch qHD (960 x 540) touchscreen display. This is
slightly larger than the 4-inch display found on the Motorola Atrix 4G
available through AT&T.
There’s also a front-facing VGA camera for video-chat and an
8-megapixel, dual-LED flash rear camera with dedicated camera button
that can capture 720p HD video. Full HD 1080p video can be output via
the mini HDMI port. The 16GB of on board memory can be expanded to up to a
total of 48GB via a 32GB SD card, while the device’s 3G/4G hotspot
capability supports up to eight devices.
Aimed at business customers as well as the general consumer, the
Photon 4G features enterprise-quality security capabilities such as data
encryption and remote device management, alongside the international
GSM capabilities to keep business travelers in touch around the globe.
The device will also be compatible with a range of optional
accessories, including a Vehicle Navigation Dock and Motorola’s HD
Station multimedia dock that includes a wireless remote and HDMI cable
and combines with the Webtop application to allow users to launch a full
Firefox 4.0 browser and access and create content on a larger monitor
or HD TV.